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Basic
Definition

Basically, an organization in its simplest form (and not necessarily a legal
entity, e.g., corporation or LLC) is a group of people intentionally organized
to accomplish an overall, common goal or set of goals.

There are several important aspects to consider about the goal of the organization.
These features are explicit (deliberate and recognized) or implicit (operating
unrecognized, "behind the scenes"). Ideally, these features are carefully
considered and established, usually during the strategic planning process. (Later,
we'll consider dimensions and concepts that are common to organizations.)

Vision

Members of the organization
often have some image in their minds about how the organization
should be working, how it should appear when things are going
well.

Mission

An organization operates according to an overall purpose, or mission.

Values

All organizations operate
according to overall values, or priorities in the nature of how
they carry out their activities. These values are the personality,
or culture, of the organization.

Strategic Goals

Organizational members often work to achieve several overall accomplishments, or goals,
as they work toward their mission.

Strategies

Organizations usually
follow several overall general approaches to reach their goals.

Systems and Processes that (Hopefully)
Are Aligned With Achieving the Goals

Organizations have major
subsystems, such as departments, programs, divisions, teams, etc.
Each of these subsystems has a way of doing things to, along with
other subsystems, achieve the overall goals of the organization.
Often, these systems and processes are define by plans, policies
and procedures.

How you interpret each of the above
major parts of an organization depends very much on your values
and your nature. People can view organizations as machines, organisms,
families, groups, etc. (We'll consider more about these metaphors
later on in this topic in the library.)

Organizations as Systems (of Systems of Systems)

Organization as a System

It helps to think of organizations
as systems. Simply put, a system is an organized collection of
parts that are highly integrated in order to accomplish an overall
goal. The system has various inputs which are processed to produce
certain outputs, that together, accomplish the overall goal desired
by the organization. There is ongoing feedback among these various
parts to ensure they remain aligned to accomplish the overall
goal of the organization. There are several classes of systems,
ranging from very simple frameworks all the way to social systems,
which are the most complex. Organizations are, of course, social
systems.

Systems have inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes. To explain,
inputs
to the system include resources such as raw materials, money,
technologies and people. These inputs go through a process
where they're aligned, moved along and carefully coordinated,
ultimately to achieve the goals set for the system. Outputs
are tangible results produced by processes in the system, such
as products or services for consumers. Another kind of result
is outcomes, or benefits for consumers, e.g., jobs for
workers, enhanced quality of life for customers, etc. Systems
can be the entire organization, or its departments, groups, processes,
etc.

Feedback
comes from, e.g., employees who carry out processes in the organization,
customers/clients using the products and services, etc. Feedback
also comes from the larger environment of the organization, e.g.,
influences from government, society, economics, and technologies.

Each organization has numerous subsystems, as well. Each subsystem
has its own boundaries of sorts, and includes various inputs,
processes, outputs and outcomes geared to accomplish an overall
goal for the subsystem. Common examples of subsystems are departments,
programs, projects, teams, processes to produce products or services,
etc. Organizations are made up of people -- who are also systems
of systems of systems -- and on it goes. Subsystems are organized
in an hierarchy needed to accomplish the overall goal of the overall
system.

The organizational system is defined
by, e.g., its legal documents (articles of incorporation, by laws,
roles of officers, etc.), mission, goals and strategies, policies
and procedures, operating manuals, etc. The organization is depicted
by its organizational charts, job descriptions, marketing materials,
etc. The organizational system is also maintained or controlled
by policies and procedures, budgets, information management systems,
quality management systems, performance review systems, etc.

Standard Planning Process is
Similar to Working Backwards Through the System

Remember how systems have input, processes, outputs
and outcomes? One of the common ways that people manage systems
is to work backwards from what they want the system to produce.
This process is essentially the same as the overall, standard,
basic planning process. This process typically includes:
a) Establishing overall goals (it's best if goals are defined
in measurable terms, so they usually are in terms of outputs)
(the overall impacts of goals are outcomes, a term increasingly
used in nonprofits)
b) Associating smaller goals or objectives (or outputs?) along
the way to each goal
c) Designing strategies/methods (or processes) to meet the goals
and objectives
d) Identifying what resources (or inputs) are needed, including
who will implement the methods and by when.

NOTE: A person need not understand systems or chaos
theory to start and run an organization. A basic understanding,
though, sure helps when dealing with the many kinds of typical
issues that face members of organizations. Information at the
following link is geared to give the reader a taste of what systems
theory is about, and then refer the reader to more information
if they are interested.Thinking About Organizations as Systems

For the Category of Organizational Development:

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